Canada was McDonald's first international market outside the United States.
McDonald's opened its first Canadian restaurant in Richmond, British Columbia, in 1967. The opening marked the beginning of the company's international expansion beyond the United States. Canada was a natural early destination because of its geographic proximity and close economic relationship with the United States.
The Canadian restaurant did not simply duplicate every American practice. McDonald's has historically adapted menus, promotions, and restaurant operations to local markets while preserving core elements such as the Golden Arches and standardized service. That balance between global consistency and local adaptation became a major feature of the brand's later expansion.
McDonald's subsequently entered markets across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other regions. The first Canadian opening is distinct from the company's first restaurant outside North America, which came later. It is also separate from the first McDonald's restaurant in a particular country, because Canada was the first country in which the company expanded after beginning in the United States.